The present invention concerns a closing unit of a shaping machine.
Closing units of the general kind set forth have a moveable clamping plate, a push rod connected to the moveable mounting plate and having an outside profile, a divided locking nut provided with an inside profile, and a closing force mechanism for acting on the moveable mold clamping plate with a closing force.
In that arrangement, in the closed position of the locking nut, the push rod is locked by the cooperation of the inside profile and the outside profile with the closing force mechanism.
A closing unit of the general kind set forth is disclosed, for example, in AT 13625 U1. In that case, the nut halves are displaced by eccentrics fixed to a driven shaft. What is capable of improvement therein is that the shaft and consequently the drive must be oriented parallel to the longitudinal axis of the push rod in order to avoid asymmetrical application of force (gives rise to a risk of jamming) to the divided nut. The structural length of the closing unit is increased as a result. If the attempt is made to orient the drive transversely by a direction-changing transmission, then the number of moveable parts is inevitably increased and the unavoidable play in the transmission reduces the accuracy of open-loop or closed-loop control of the movement of the nut halves.
Closing units having four beam members are not of the general kind set forth. In that case, the beam members are not locked relatively to the closing force mechanism but relatively to the moveable mold clamping plate. Because of the greater number of beam members and the fact that the locking means in this case are arranged at the end of the closing unit, the space situation here is completely different.